O'Kelley Cemetery, Buncombe Co., NC
Other names are Stony Fork Cemetery
Our thanks to Zen Southerland for providing this transcription.
DIRECTIONS
From Candler, NC take Pisgah Highway South (Rt 151) about 7.5 until it enters Federal
property (The park signs about camping are the giveaway). Within .2 miles a sign will
indicate a left to Stony Fork Church. This will be Ballard Cove Road (not always
marked). Take this about a half mile to Stony Fork Missionary Baptist Church on the
left.
LATITUDE/LONGITUDE
352734N 0824341W (Per USGS map DUNSMORE MTN)
FIELD NOTES: 9/23/98
The cemetery is laid out on a NW - SE axis and the headstones are all facing NW and
the survey began in the southern corner. The grounds are part of the Church and are
well-maintained.
SURNAME LIST
BUGG, GIBSON, MULWEE, O’KELLEY, PALMER, SHARP, WARREN, WILLIS.
CEMETARY LISTING
(For an explanation of the format, scroll to the bottom)
========================================================
[01] WARREN
CECIL VAN / Nov 26 1923 / May 19, 1987
married Sept. 19, 1941
GRACE BROCK / Apr 17, 1922 / Jan 24 1996
[Footstone to Cecil’s marked:] CECIL VAN WARREN SR. US Army, WW II
[Footstone to Grace marked:] Mother
[02] SHARP
VAN W. / Jan 1 1940
BETTY L. / Oct 23, 1938 / July 16, 1987
“Rest In Peace”
[Footstones Father and Mother]
[03]
Baby MARTHA / KAY / SHARPE / Nov 9, 1963
[Note name as indicated with the final ‘e’]
[04]
RALPH W. SHARP / May 23, 1958 / Dec 22, 1960
[05] [Unmarked stone]
[06]
TERRIE WARREN / Mar 5, 1892 / June 15, 1976
[07]
ROXIE O’KELLEY / Oct 22, 1902 / May 25, 1957
[8]
MARTHA FOSTER / Wife of PINK O’KELLEY / 1855 - 1948
[Footstone: M.F.O.]
[9]
NINA O’KELLEY / May 10, 1877 / June 10, 1946
[10]
ELIZA ANN O’KELLEY / 1827 / Jan 1929
[11]
BILL O’KELLEY / 1854 / Mar 14 1929
[Native rock footstone, or possibly original headstone]
[12] SHARP Thy Kingdom Come
RALPH L. / Aug 29, 1904 / July 15, 1994
ORA O. / Nov 9, 1907 / Jan 26, 1986
[13]
VINSON B SHARP / North Carolina / PFC US Marine Corps / Korea / Dec 11 1933
Jan 5 1964
[Veteran stone marked with cross]
[14]
MILLARD / O’KELLEY / Born: Au / g. 15 183 / DC Au. 15
[This is a native stone well-selected and very well worked. It is partly
unreadable and the known portions are transcribed. The designs and
workmanship are excellent, even though the lines are broken up mid-word
and weathering has taken its payment.]
[15] [Unmarked or overly-worn local stone]
[16] [Unmarked or overly-worn local stone laid flat with footstone of
quartz]
[17]
B. N. H WAS / Born Apr 26 / 1838 . DC March 1840
[Native footstone]
[18]
U. G. H. WAS / Born Apr 26 / 1838 DC March / Twins . 1840
[Markers #17 & this one seem to be of the same mold as #14, very well-
worked native stone with designs on the top.
[19] [Uncut marble stone. The back even shows the drill holes. No
markings found anywhere]
[20] [Native stone, unmarked]
[21]
NOVELLA ISAM / WILLIS / Jan 11, 1916 / Jan 11, 1938
[22]
JOHN / WILLIS JR. / Dec 27, 1936 / Dec 27, 1936
[23]
MARY O’KELLEY / WILLIS / 1882 - 1933
[24]
PINK O’KELLEY / 1882 - 1933
[25]
MARY PALMER / Wife of / PINK O’KELLEY
[No dates. Also, since this marker seems to have been part of the
grouping of official “O’Kelleys” the other ‘wife of Pink O’Kelley’
may not have been the one that bore his children.]
[26]
BENJAMIN O’KELLEY / 1879 - 1912
[27]
EARL / O’KELLEY / 1881 - 1913
[28] Father
RALPH F. / WILLIS / Sept 2, 1910 / June 1, 1987
[Footstone: R.W.}
[29] Mother
LEONA PAYNE / WILLIS / Oct 18, 1921 / Dec 19, 1997
[Footstone: L.P.W.]
[30]
WILLIS
[This marker is a large headstone indicating that this is the
WILLIS section of the cemetery.]
[31]
The Family of / PINK O’KELLEY
[This stone is the generalized headstone to markers #21 - #27,
which are actually footstones.]
[32] MULWEE
ELLA W. / Nov 11, 1905 / Apr 30, 1988 [ Footstone: Granny]
EDD M. / June 10, 1891 / Sept 16, 1985
[33]
JAMES T. GIBSON / Dec 24, 1941 / Apr. 11, 1965
[34] [Completely unmarked, but discoloration in the soil indicates a
burial. There are also fairly new floral arrangement at the head.
Makes you wish someone who knows would put something, but it also
feels very private and personal.]
[35] [Unmarked, but recent floral arrangement.]
[36] BUGG
BESSIE M. / May 9 1891 / [no date]
OSCAR T. / Mar 9, 1881 / May 31, 1962
[37]
CARL EUGENE WILSON / Died June 30, 196(5?) Aged 0 Yrs 0 Mo 0 Day 6
hours [Slightly worked native stone with just the name crudely
scratched. The information is from the original funeral home metal
plaque.]
========================================================
RESEARCHER’S ADDENDUM
Down the road I located and spoke to Harry and Emma O’Kelley who
were in their late ‘80s and very pleasant but didn’t have a mind
for remembering such things. I did ascertain that NINA is Harry’s
Mother’s Sister; that his grandfather was a FOSTER; that Roxy was
‘slow’ or mildly retarded; and that they were going to be buried
at the Mt. Pigsah Church Cemetary which they both referred to as
‘the O’KELLEY/FOSTER cemetery’ up the road. I got directions,
thanked them and headed for there.
FORMAT
An attempt is copy down the grave marker’s information in the
order and using the same punctuation in which it appears. The
use of “ / “ indicates the next line. Names always appear IN
UPPER CASE. Every stone is numbered. If more than one name is
underneath the numbering, then all those names appeared on one
stone. If there is wording before the name, it appears on the
same line as the number. Also, if the last name spans the stone
above the individuals, it also appears on the numbered line.
PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE
Some photographs were taken of the stones under the best light and
angle possible, but it is almost always true that more information
can be discerned from being there, especially because the pictures
are stored in a lossy compression format of .JPG. Send your request
to me at zens@mindspring.com, and give me 2 days to figure out which
zip disk they’re on or if i’ve taken those pictures.
NOTE: The information on this page is copyrighted, and must not be used for any commercial purposes or reproduced in any form (printed, electronic, or otherwise) without prior permission. The content herein is copyrighted, except where previous copyright applies.
Products such as textual material, electronic and multimedia resources and materials created, authored and/or prepared by Diane Miller and / or Golden Branches are copyrighted in content, presentation and intellectual, creative origin. These electronically available materials are considered intellectual property and intended for use for educational, academic and research purposes and are not intended for commercial sale. Electronic versions of images, and all other graphical material, animation and digital renditions of video material are protected by copyright as intellectual property unless noted otherwise.
|
